Chapter 221: Financial Overview

A cool afternoon breeze swept across the fourth-floor executive terrace, carrying the distant hum of heavy freight trucks from the boulevard below.

Under the shade of a wide canvas awning, the hot lunch from the district restaurant was laid out across a polished teak table. Steaming roast poultry rubbed with wild herbs, warm flatbread, savory vegetable broth, and two tall glasses of chilled berry tea filled the air with a mouthwatering aroma.

Calista took a deep breath, letting out a soft sigh as she sat back in a cushioned wicker armchair. The lingering tension from the morning’s confrontation with Director Crowe had completely washed away.

"Eat before it gets cold," Evren said, sliding a wooden platter of roast poultry and flatbread toward her. "You worked for three hours straight without touching water."

Calista did not need to be told twice.

She picked up a slice of seasoned poultry, taking a slow, appreciative bite. Her eyes lit up with genuine delight as the savory herbs and tender meat hit her tongue.

"This is amazing," Calista murmured, quickly taking a second bite. A faint blush dusted her cheeks as she added, "I didn’t realize how hungry I was until we sat down."

Evren smiled, pouring a cup of clear vegetable broth for himself. "Running advanced molecular calculations on your feet burns more calories than people think."

For the next ten minutes, they ate in comfortable silence, watching the bustling industrial district below.

From four stories up, the compound’s twenty-foot steel perimeter walls looked like a fortress. Outside the main blast gates, Captain Keller’s Provost soldiers stood in formation beside their grey armored carriers, ensuring not a single unauthorized inspector came near the property.

Once the platters were cleared, Calista took a refreshing sip of chilled berry tea. She wiped her fingertips with a napkin, pulled her tablet from her shoulder bag, and rested it on the table.

"Before we talk about the next steps, I need to show you the operating ledger," Calista said, her voice turning slightly hesitant. "We’ve spent a substantial amount of money over the last few days, and I want you to see every single line item."

Evren leaned back in his chair, taking a slow sip of tea. "Show me."

Calista tapped the screen, turning the tablet toward him so he could review the financial overview for Starlight Pharmaceuticals.

The top banner displayed their initial capitalization: twenty million dollars wired during the initial court escrow transfer, followed by the five-million-dollar infrastructure grant Evren had authorized over the weekend.

That gave the company an initial operating pool of twenty-five million dollars.

Below the capitalization figure was a detailed ledger of their recent expenditures.

"The first major expense was the cold-storage infrastructure," Calista explained, pointing her stylus at the top category. "We spent six million two hundred thousand dollars retrofitting the warehouse with hermetic preservation lockers, blue cryogenic preservation gel, and precision humidity manifolds."

Evren nodded slowly, scanning the itemized receipts. "Without that, the fresh Star-Jade leaves from District Three would wilt and lose their active mana within forty-eight hours."

"Exactly," Calista said, pleased that he understood the necessity right away. "The second category was catalytic minerals and stabilizing salts. We spent four million eight hundred thousand dollars on bulk moon-silver salts, high-grade crystalline solvents, and inert mineral binders."

"And the third?" Evren asked, scrolling down with his thumb.

"The high-voltage utility grid and chemical filtration systems cost two million five hundred thousand dollars," Calista continued. "That covered the specialized power conduits needed to drive three Grade-Four automated vats simultaneously, along with the exhaust scrubbers that keep the air clean."

She paused, pointing to the final category at the bottom of the ledger.

"The last one million three hundred thousand dollars went toward armored logistics, transport insurance, and fifty thousand sterile crystal phials for our first commercial bottling run," Calista concluded softly.

"In total, Starlight has spent fourteen million eight hundred thousand dollars so far, leaving our current operating balance at ten million two hundred thousand."

She looked up at Evren with an anxious, uncertain expression, clutching the stylus tightly between her fingers.

Spending nearly fifteen million dollars before producing a single commercial bottle felt overwhelming to someone who had grown up watching her family’s wealth stripped away.

"I know it looks like an astronomical amount of money," Calista said quietly. "We haven’t sold a single dose of medicine yet, and more than half our cash reserves are already committed."

Evren set his teacup down on the table, letting out a low, reassuring chuckle.

"Calista, fourteen point eight million dollars to fully equip, power, and supply a hundred and fifty thousand square foot biotechnology complex is practically a bargain," Evren told her gently. "If the previous syndicate had built this facility from scratch, it would have cost them seventy million just for the structural foundation."

Calista blinked, her shoulders relaxing slightly under his gaze.

"You aren’t spending money on reckless experiments," Evren added firmly. "You invested in the infrastructure that makes mass production possible. Once those three lines are running, ten million will look like pocket change."

A soft, relieved smile touched Calista’s lips. "Thank you, Evren. Hearing you say that makes a huge difference."

"Now, tell me what’s missing," Evren said, leaning forward on the table. "Our pilot test verified the formula at ninety-nine point eight percent purity, and the storage bays are full. What is stopping us from turning on all three automated vats right now?"

Calista let out a small breath, tapping the edge of the tablet with her stylus. "Human hands."

Evren raised an eyebrow. "Staffing?"

"Automated reactors handle the physical boiling and pressurized distillation, but they cannot think for themselves," Calista explained. "You need certified alchemical technicians to regulate the mana-infusion valves, monitor chemical density, and perform quality checks every twenty minutes."

"How many people do we need to run all three lines continuously?" Evren asked.

"To run three shifts around the clock, we need at least forty certified lab technicians, ten quality-assurance alchemists, and twenty cleanroom operators," Calista replied. "That’s seventy skilled workers total."

"And Director Crowe’s cartel has a monopoly over the city’s alchemical labor pool," Evren noted, seeing the problem immediately.

"They do," Calista agreed, nodding seriously. "The Capital Alchemical Regulation Board routinely threatens independent alchemists with license suspensions if they work for unsanctioned facilities. Most guild journeymen are terrified of getting blacklisted."

"Then we don’t hire their cronies," Evren said with a faint, dangerous smirk. "Who else is out there?"

Calista’s eyes lit up with sudden excitement, leaning in across the table.

"The Capital is full of brilliant, honest alchemists who were rejected by the Board," Calista said with conviction. "Every year, hundreds of talented students graduate from the Imperial Academy of Alchemical Sciences, but only the ones with wealthy families or syndicate connections get hired."

She swiped her tablet to a public alumni forum, showing dozens of qualified resumes.

"The rest are forced into low-paying jobs at corner apothecary shops, grinding dried roots for pennies," Calista continued. "Many of them were actively blacklisted by Crowe’s panel simply because they refused to pay kickbacks or sign away their research rights."

"Then we give them a home," Evren said decisively. "Draft an open recruitment notice right now. Offer double standard market wages, full medical benefits, and research stipends."

"And what about Crowe’s threats?" Calista asked, watching his face closely.

"State clearly in the posting that Starlight Pharmaceuticals is a designated Level-One Sovereign Defense Facility operating under Imperial Readiness Decree 12," Evren said, tapping the silver seal on his lapel. "The Board has zero jurisdiction over military defense contractors. Any technician who works for us is legally untouchable by city regulators."

Calista stared at him for a moment before a brilliant, radiant smile broke across her face. "They will swarm our gates by the hundreds."

Her fingers moved rapidly across the tablet, drafting the hiring notice.

As the digital document uploaded to the city’s alchemical network, Calista paused, resting her hands on the edge of the table. She looked out over the sprawling city, her silver hair fluttering gently in the breeze.

"Two years ago, I was locked thousands of metres underground," Calista said softly, her voice barely louder than the wind. "I had no grimoire, no paper, and no stylus. I couldn’t even turn my head to look around."

Evren remained quiet, giving her the space to speak.

"Every night, I ran chemical formulas in my head just to keep from crying," Calista whispered, her fingers curling against her skirt. "I balanced molecular weights in the dark, wondering if I was losing my mind. There were times I thought I was making up complex fairy tales just to give my dying body an excuse to survive."

She turned her head, looking at Evren with emotion in her blue eyes.

"When that spectrometer screen flashed green today, showing ninety-nine point eight percent purity, I realized I wasn’t crazy," Calista said, a warm tear slipping down her cheek. "My formulas were real all along, and you’re the one who gave me my legs back so I could prove it."

Evren reached across the table, gently resting his hand over hers.

"You did the hard part, Calista," Evren told her quietly. "You survived the dark and kept your genius intact. From here on, no one in this city will ever lock you away again."

Calista nodded firmly, wiping the tear from her face with a soft, confident smile.

"Let’s finalize this posting," Calista said, sitting up straight with renewed fire in her eyes. "By tomorrow morning, we’ll have our technicians."

Evren stood up, offering his hand to help her from the chair. "Come on. Let’s head down, lock up the facility, and get back to Meridian Tower for the evening."